I user to use MSE under windows, and did the occasionally scan with MBAM.
Then I ditched Windows for Linux, and never saw an AV again :)
Anyway, Windows has got considerably more secure than the past. I feel that I used to run an antivirus "just because", and not because I felt the need for it.
The "trick" is to always keep your system update (which mean, always install the latest patches as soon as they come out), always use an up-to-date browser, remove/disable (with click2play) any browser plugins, block ads (unblock them on sites that you feel secure/trustable, but ads are one of the main vector of diffusion for viruses), and obviously don't run any "sketchy" software you might find on the net (VirusTotal and similiar help with that, but for one-time/few uses, it's better to run a virtual machine and then restore it).
Then I ditched Windows for Linux, and never saw an AV again :)
Anyway, Windows has got considerably more secure than the past. I feel that I used to run an antivirus "just because", and not because I felt the need for it.
The "trick" is to always keep your system update (which mean, always install the latest patches as soon as they come out), always use an up-to-date browser, remove/disable (with click2play) any browser plugins, block ads (unblock them on sites that you feel secure/trustable, but ads are one of the main vector of diffusion for viruses), and obviously don't run any "sketchy" software you might find on the net (VirusTotal and similiar help with that, but for one-time/few uses, it's better to run a virtual machine and then restore it).